GURTLER'S 

SHORTHAND 
EFFICIENCY 

LESSON      X 
LOOKING    AHEAD 

ONE  OF  A  SERIES  OF  LESSONS 

RELATING    TO    SKILL     IN 

SHORTHAND   WRITING 


PUBLISHED  BY 

FREDERICK  H.  GURTLER 
CHICAGO,  ILL. 


f 


3§ 

83 


GURTLER'S 

SHORTHAND 
EFFICIENCY 

LESSON       X 


LOOKING   AHEAD 

ONE  OF  A  SERIES  OF  LESSONS 

RELATING  TO  SKILL  IN 

SHORTHAND  WRITING 


By 
FREDERICK  H.  GURTLER 

CHICAGO,  ILL. 
MAY  f  0    1917 


Copyright.  1917 
FREDERICK  H.  GURTLER 


LOOKING  AHEAD 


T  N  THIS  lesson  further  suggestions  will  be  made  as 
•*•  to  additional  avenues  of  employment.  To  work  in 
a  position  with  no  particular  object  in  view  but  waiting 
merely  for  something  to  turn  up  is  to  work  to  a  dis- 
advantage. The  suggestions  here  given  should  cause 
you  to  formulate  your  plans  for  immediate  development 
and  progress.  The  degree  of  effectiveness  of  those 
plans  will  be  the  measure  of  your  business  ability,  your 
ingenuity,  your  resource  and  initiative.  By  lending 
yourself  heartily  to  this  important  matter  at  this  time 
you  may  greatly  enhance  your  business  possibilities. 

A  PRIVATE  SECRETARY 

The  name  implies  the  character  of  the  work.  A 
private  secretary  is  one  who  assists  another  in  a  confi- 
dential capacity.  A  secretary  is  not  limited  to  steno- 
graphic work.  He  or  she  is  now  an  assistant  in  the 
business  of  the  employer.  He  is  a  correspondent  under 
his  employer's  direction  and  he  may  be  a  mere  office 
boy  on  some  occasions.  He  is  a  confidential  messenger 
on  other  occasions.  If  the  employer  has  to  speak  at  a 
banquet,  the  private  secretary  may  prepare  the  speech. 
The  private  secretary  takes  care  of  the  preliminaries 
so  that  the  principal  has  only  to  effect  the  final  arrange- 
ments. 

The  private  secretary  is  an  investigator,  a  helper, 
someone  to  discuss  propositions  with,  someone  who 
can  imitate  his  employer  so  accurately  that  the  cor- 

(10)  3 


4  GURTLER  S  SHORTHAND  EFFICIENCY 

respondent  can't  tell  but  what  the  principal  is  writing 
him. 

SOME  OF  THE  QUALIFICATIONS 

In  the  first  place,  a  private  secretary  must  have  an 
easy  command  of  business  English.  The  letters  the 
business  man  is  particular  about  he  will  dictate  to  his 
private  secretary  with  the  idea  in  mind  that  the  sec- 
retary, in  view  of  his  special  training  in  business 
English,  will  catch  any  little  slip  in  the  dictation.  The 
letters,  after  they  are  dictated,  may  not  always  voice 
the  idea  of  the  busy  business  man  but  the  private  sec- 
retary gets  his  larger  salary  because  he  is  able  to  sense 
those  things  and  correct  them  without  bothering  the 
employer. 

I  was  in  an  office  in  New  York  City  one  time  where 
an  employer  dictated  about  fifty  letters  to  his  private 
secretary  in  about  twenty-five  minutes.  It  took  just 
a  word  or  two  on  certain  letters  to  indicate  perhaps  a 
full  page  letter  when  transcribed.  The  technical  letters 
and  those  requiring  the  highly  skilled  experience  of  the 
employer,  himself,  were  dictated  in  part;  the  rest  of 
the  letter  was  filled  in  by  his  stenographer  just  from 
suggestions.  This  method  of  dictating  saves  the  em- 
ployer a  great  deal  of  time  and  accomplishes  equally 
good  results.  That  is  how  the  private  secretary  can 
make  twice  as  much  as  the  stenographer. 

PURELY  PERSONAL 

Now,  we  are  going  to  deal  with  something,  the  im- 
portance of  which  might  not  have  occurred  to  you. 
You  must  be  neat.  This  advice  will  apply  to  stenog- 


LOOKING  AHEAD  5 

raphers  or  to  any  employees,  but  it  especially  applies 
to  private  secretaries  who  are  thrown  more  or  less  con- 
stantly in  contact  with  the  employer.  The  slight  addi- 
tional expense  involved  in  keeping  one's  self  very  neat 
in  appearance  as  against  carelessness  will  pay  big 
dividends.  Of  course,  it  is  not  necessary  to  make  any 
suggestions  along  this  line  to  wide-awake  young  people 
but  there  are  many  who  desire  to  become  private  sec- 
retaries who  in  their  zeal  to  perfect  their  knowledge  of 
the  mechanical  side  would,  perhaps,  become  indifferent 
to  things  apparently  foreign  to  shorthand.  I  do  not 
mean  to  suggest  that  you  have  to  be  extravagantly 
dressed.  That  is  just  as  objectionable  as  careless  dress- 
ing. All  I  wish  to  convey  is  that  you  should  dress 
in  such  a  manner  that  you  will  be  pleasing  to  your 
employer  and  make  a  good  impression  on  those  who 
may  call  at  the  office.  Remember  that  you  reflect  the 
success  of  your  employer's  business  to  a  certain  extent 
by  your  manner,  your  dress,  your  appearance. 

PERSONALITY 

While  efficiency  plays  an  important  part  in  the  quali- 
fications of  a  private  secretary,  still  there  is  another 
element  vital  to  success  in  such  employment,  namely, 
personality. 

An  easy,  pleasing,  graceful  manner  in  dealing  with 
fellow  employees,  with  visitors,  with  friends,  means 
pay  in  the  envelope  for  you.  That  is  saying  a  great 
deal,  though.  The  grace  and  consideration  with  which 
you  treat  callers  in  the  absence  of  your  employer  will 
mean  a  great  deal  to  him  and  indirectly  to  you.  You 
can  cultivate  personality.  A  disagreeable  personage, 


6  GURTLER  S  SHORTHAND  EFFICIENCY 

or  even  a  slightly  disagreeable  personage,  no  matter 
how  competent  in  any  other  way,  cannot  succeed  as  a 
private  secretary.  Be  pleasant  and  agreeable.  Always 
work  as  though  you  were  easily  competent  to  fill  your 
position. 

HUMAN   NATURE 

In  your  capacity  as  private  secretary  you  will  perhaps 
receive  callers  some  of  whom  may  be  very  disagree- 
able. The  poorest  kind  of  secretary  is  one  who  will 
try  by  his  conduct  to  inflame  and  embitter  the  feeling 
of  customers  toward  a  concern.  The  best  kind  of  a 
private  secretary  is  one  who  will  alleviate  and  smooth 
over  any  temporary  bitterness  toward  a  concern,  per- 
haps entirely  ameliorate  it.  When  someone  comes  with 
a  "club"  after  the  "boss"  try  to  get  a  good  suggestion 
in  his  mind  to  soften  his  attitude.  Be  tactful,  be 
gracious. 

PUBLIC  SPEAKING 

The  scope  of  private  secretary  extends  over  such  a 
wide  range  that  it  is  rather  a  difficult  matter  to  discuss 
it  fully  in  a  short  lesson.  I  have  known  private  sec- 
retaries to  go  out  and  make  speeches  for  their  employ- 
ers and  they  have  done  remarkably  well,  too.  I  have 
known  private  secretaries  to  represent  their  employers 
at  meetings  of  the  Board  of  Directors  of  an  organiza- 
tion. I  have  known  them  to  run  the  entire  business. 
I  have  known  them  to  make  contracts  involving  thou- 
sands of  dollars.  Hence,  not  knowing  what  kind  of 
position  you  may  get,  I  want  to  remind  you  that  you 
ought  to  be  able  to  write  a  speech  on  any  subject  of 


LOOKING  AHEAD  7 

present-day  importance;  that  you  ought  to  be  able  to 
deliver  it  in  a  pleasing  and  effective  manner;  that  you 
ought  to  be  able  to  carry  out  any  function  of  the  busi- 
ness with  credit  to  your  employer. 

BUSINESS  ROUTINE 

As  to  business  routine,  there  is  not  anything  about 
the  office  you  ought  not  to  know.  You  ought  to  know 
filing  thoroughly;  the  different  and  best  systems  of 
riling;  letter-press  work,  mimeographing  and  to  know 
a  good  reproduction  from  a  bad  one,  whether  the 
process  be  by  hectograph,  multigraph  or  any  other 
device.  You  ought  to  know  about  the  various  office 
appliances  so  that  when  your  employer  desires  to  make 
a  purchase  along  this  line,  you  will  be  able  to  give  him 
some  accurate  advice  along  the  best  line  of  equipment. 
It  is  not  necessary  that  you  know  all  these  things  abso- 
lutely, but  you  ought  to  have  an  up-to-date  opinion 
about  them  and  be  able  to  make  a  suggestion  to  your 
employer  as  to  a  reliable  method  of  investigation. 

EXECUTIVE  ABILITY 

Here  is  a  qualification  you  cannot  overlook.  You 
will  have  stenographers  under  you.  You  want  their 
co-operation.  You  want  the  kind  of  work  from  them 
that  ought  to  be  gotten  out.  Your  executive  ability 
should  enable  you  to  direct  the  work  and  have  the 
perfect  co-operation  and  confidence  of  those  you  are 
associated  with.  You  want  them  not  only  to  do,  but  to 
be  willing  to  do  what  you  ask  of  them.  This  is  what 
is  commonly  known  as  executive  ability.  Executive 
ability  means  tact,  appreciation,  knowledge. 

(10) 


8  GURTLER  S  SHORTHAND  EFFICIENCY 

RELIABILITY 

With  the  idea  of  having  a  trustworthy  servant,  many 
a  private  secretary  is  employed.  The  business  man 
wants  some  one  he  can  rely  upon  absolutely  in  times 
when  things  go  well  and  in  times  when  they  do  not  go 
well.  He  wants  someone  to  represent  his  business 
interests  before  those  who  are  anxious  to  gain  a  point 
against  him.  He  does  not  want  his  personal  repre- 
sentative to  be  cowed  by  vicious  competitors  or  fooled 
by  the  suave. 

A  private  secretary  is  one  who  will  do  a  thing  the 
first  time  told,  whether  easy  or  difficult.  A  private 
secretary  is  one  who  will  do  for  another — his  em- 
ployer— just  what  another  would  do  for  himself.  You 
want  to  have  a  pretty  accurate  knowledge  or  at  least 
a  general  knowledge  of  all  commercial  papers.  You 
want  to  know  what  you  are  doing  before  you  sign  a 
paper  or  permit  important  documents  to  get  into  the 
hands  of  other  people. 

Of  course,  I  naturally  suppose  you  are  a  reader 
of  the  Gregg  Writer — the  Department  for  the  Typist — 
and  have  there  learned  about  office  appliances.  "Office 
Training  for  Stenographers,"  by  Rupert  P.  SoRelle 
goes  into  this  subject  thoroughly,  much  more  thor- 
oughly than  we  could  possibly  do  here.  However,  if 
this  is  the  line  you  wish  to  follow  and  if  you  feel  you 
are  not  sufficiently  acquainted  with  commercial  papers, 
business  forms  and  office  detail  I  would  strongly  rec- 
ommend that  you  obtain  this  book.  I  do  not  want  any 
of  my  students  to  get  anything  that  they  do  not  want 
to  get ;  on  the  other  hand  we  sometimes  expect  a  larger 


LOOKING  AHEAD  9 

salary  than  graduates  of  universities  can  get,  without 
spending  sufficient  time  or  money  to  educate  ourselves. 
If  I  were  preparing  for  a  position  as  private  secretary 
I  would  subscribe  to  "Office  Appliances,"  and,  of 
course,  "The  Gregg  Writer."  Remember  this,  that  all 
the  qualifications  that  go  to  make  up  a  good  stenog- 
rapher are  possessed  by  private  secretaries.  A  private 
secretary  is  simply  better  qualified  than  the  ordinary 
stenographer.  He  has  gotten  beyond  the  clerical  sense 
to  the  business  sense.  He  has  the  ability  to  conduct 
and  feels  the  responsibility  of  conducting  a  business. 

GENERAL  ABILITY 

It  has  been  impossible  to  touch  upon  all  the  qualifi- 
cations of  a  private  secretary  and  I  know  since  you 
realize  a  private  secretary  simply  means  a  good  stenog- 
rapher, a  skilled  stenographer,  an  observing  stenog- 
rapher, that  you  will  be  able  to  imagine  for  your  own 
part  the  necessary  and  complete  qualifications  of  your- 
self, having  decided  to  engage  in  that  profession.  It 
is  indeed  a  profession,  one  that  calls  for  the  develop- 
ment of  your  skill,  mechanically,  and  the  development 
of  your  personality.  There  isn't  any  occupation  in 
life  quite  so  pleasant  as  the  development  of  your  own 
personal  factors  of  attractiveness,  tact  and  business 
enterprise.  In  your  work  as  secretary  you  have  a 
splendid  opportunity  to  observe  the  lives  of  successful 
men.  A  concern  of  sufficient  size,  the  leading  factors 
of  which  employ  private  secretaries,  will  necessarily 
draw  to  it  men  of  great  experience.  Men  of  great 
experience,  in  all  their  dealings,  are  an  object  lesson 
to  anyone  desiring  to  develop  himself.  I  do  not  mean 


10  GURTLER'S  SHORTHAND  EFFICIENCY 

by  this  that  all  successful  men  in  all  particulars  are 
to  be  followed,  but  naturally  as  you  and  I  and  the 
rest  of  us  grow  and  develop  and  observe,  we  can  judge 
for  ourselves  whether  this  man  in  the  lessons  that  he 
gives,  is  to  be  followed  or  whether  some  other  man 
in  the  lessons  that  he  gives  is  to  be  followed. 

GETTING  A  POSITION 

We  will  assume  for  the  purposes  of  this  paragraph 
that  you  are  qualified  to  act  as  private  secretary.  In 
this  assumption,  you  would  compare  with  a  factory 
which  is  equipped  to  manufacture  a  product.  What 
would  the  manufacturing  organization  do?  The 
answer  to  their  problems  would  answer  yours.  First, 
they  would  start  a  selling  campaign,  either  by  sending 
salesmen  out  on  the  road  to  call  on  the  people  who 
would  be  most  interested  in  the  product  manufactured, 
or  by  circular  letters  try  to  interest  people,  or  they 
would  do  both. 

It  is  assumed  while  you  are  preparing  yourself  for 
secretarial  work  that  you  have  a  position  and  this 
gives  you  opportunity  to  look  around  considerably 
without  financial  loss  to  yourself.  When  a  stenog- 
rapher desires  to  obtain  convention  reporting  he  writes 
to  the  secretaries  of  conventions.  He  may  write  a  great 
many  letters  without  getting  any  returns.  It  seems  to 
me  your  position  is  somewhat  similar  to  the  last  in- 
stance cited.  You  might  try  a  series  of  twenty-five 
letters  gotten  up  in  your  nicest  style,  to  general  man- 
agers of  corporations,  being  sure  you  give  the  man  the 
right  title  and  see  what  the  result  would  be.  You  might 
try  advertising  in  a  daily  paper  but  I  think  you  might 


LOOKING  AHEAD  11 

spend  a  large  amount  of  money  without  any  returns. 
Other  than  these  suggestions  I  would  suggest  a  per- 
sonal interview  with  men  requiring  the  services  of  a 
private  secretary  whom  you  could  reach  through  your 
business  or  social  acquaintances.  Primarily,  of  course, 
it  is  understood  that  the  position  of  private  secretary 
is  not  the  so-called  "soft  job"  but  one  that  carries  a 
little  better  salary  in  order  to  attract  the  more  com- 
petent. 

THE  DECISION  IS  WITH  YOU 

If  you  expect  really  and  truly  to  become  a  private 
secretary  and  pin  your  hopes  to  that  profession,  why 
not  resolutely  determine  now  to  keep  trying  until  you 
land  such  a  position  ?  It  will  be  well  worth  your  while 
and  even  the  very  trying  will  be  an  interesting  adven- 
ture for  you.  Just  think  of  the  position  of  private  sec- 
retary as  one  requiring  not  indifference  but  enthusiasm, 
not  impatience  but  patience,  not  carelessness  but  care, 
not  a  solemn  attitude  but  a  cheerful  spirit,  not  helpless- 
ness but  helpfulness,  not  a  will-less  employee  but  an  em- 
ployee with  a  will,  not  ignorance  but  information,  not 
parrot-like  performance  but  resourcefulness,  not  stu- 
pidity but  cleverness,  not  one  who  detracts  from  busi- 
ness but  one  that  attracts  business,  not  irresponsibility 
but  responsibility,  not  a  slave  but  a  master. 

If  by  these  suggestions  I  can  get  you  to  think,  to 
arouse  yourself  in  the  position  and  under  the  circum- 
stances that  you  now  work,  so  as  to  start  you  upon  a 
course  of  constant  personal  development  toward  an 
aggressive,  tactful  and  successful  career,  I  will  feel 
that  this  lesson  and  the  entire  course  will  have  accom- 
plished a  desirable  and  profitable  end. 


12  GURTLER'S  SHORTHAND  EFFICIENCY 

A  CIVIL  SERVICE  EMPLOYEE 


THE  SERVICE 

Considering  the  civil  service  of  the  United  States 
government  as  embracing  all  those  in  its  service  in  any 
civil  capacity,  they  may  be  divided  into  four  divisions : 

1.  Officers  elected. 

2.  Employees  below  the  grade  of  regular  clerks. 

3.  Higher  officers  who  represent  the  policy  of  the 
dominant  party,  such  as  sustain  relations  of  personal 
confidence,  judicial  officers,  etc. 

4.  The  great  body  of  subordinate  officers  and  clerks 
by   which  the   administration   of  the  government   is 
carried  on. 

A  few  years  ago,  the  number  of  employees  in  the 
executive  civil  service  was  337,000.  Of  this  number 
about  200,000  were  subject  to  examination  by  the  Civil 
Service  Commission.  There  are  no  parts  of  the  execu- 
tive service  of  the  government  that  are  not  touched 
by  the  "Merit  System." 

There  are  eight  fundamental  features  of  the  Civil 
Service  Act  around  which  the  other  provisions  group 
themselves  to  form  a  harmonious  whole.  The  act  has 
stood  the  test  of  twenty-five  years  and  has  been 
strengthened  by  supplementary  acts.  After  this  lapse 
of  time  it  can  be  safely  asserted  that  the  merit  system 
has  come  to  stay.  There  is  still  room  for  many  im- 
provements, but  the  foundation  has  been  laid  and  the 
needed  changes  will  be  made  in  due  time. 


LOOKING  AHEAD  13 

CLASSIFIED  SERVICE 

That  portion  of  the  civil  service  under  the  control 
of  the  Commission  is  generally  designated  as  the 
"classified  service"  because  it  is  divided  into  classes 
according  to  the  compensation  received,  ranging  from 
$720.00  to  $2,500.00  and  upward  per  year. 

STENOGRAPHY    AND    TYPEWRITING 

Under  this  head,  three  distinct  examinations  are 
given :  one  for  those  who  are  stenographers  only ;  one 
for  those  who  are  typewriters  only;  and  one  for  those 
who  are  both  stenographers  and  typewriters.  As  the 
supply  of  male  stenographers  is  not  equal  to  the 
demand,  those  examinations  are  now  held  quarterly. 

A  special  manual  is  issued  covering  these  examina- 
tions known  as  "Form  1424."  Persons  desiring  to  take 
any  of  the  three  examinations  should  write  direct  to  the 
U.  S.  Civil  Service  Commission,  Washington,  D.  C,  or 
to  the  local  board  of  examiners  in  their  own  city  for 
application  form  304  and  form  1424.  Form  304 
should  be  promptly  filled  out  and  mailed  direct  to  the 
Commission  at  Washington.  The  applications  must  be 
properly  filled  out  and  received  by  the  Commission 
not  less  than  ten  days  before  date  of  examination  for 
those  west  of  the  Mississippi,  and  not  less  than  six 
days  for  those  east  thereof,  so  as  to  enable  the  papers 
to  be  shipped  to  the  point  where  the  examination  is  to 
be  held. 

Stenographer  and  typewriter  examinations  are  held 
for  four  branches  of  the  service,  namely,  the  Depart- 
mental, Field,  Isthmian  Canal,  and  Philippine  Service. 


14  GURTLER'S  SHORTHAND  EFFICIENCY 

The  combined  stenographer  and  typewriter  examina- 
tion is  given  for  each  of  the  four  branches ;  the  separate 
stenographer  examination  is  given  for  the  Depart- 
mental and  Field  Service;  the  separate  typewriter  ex- 
amination is  given  for  the  Departmental,  Field  and 
Isthmian  Canal  Services.  The  examinations  are  iden- 
tical for  all  branches,  with  the  exception  that  the  type- 
writer examination  for  the  Isthmian  Canal  Service  in- 
cludes the  additional  subject  of  "General  Business  Ex- 
perience" which  is  rated  on  statements  contained  in 
the  application  blank. 

Examinations  for  the  Field  Service  are  held  separate 
from  those  for  the  other  three  services.  As  a  result 
of  one  examination,  a  male  competitor  may  become 
eligible  for  appointment  to  the  Departmental,  Isthmian 
Canal,  and  Philippine  Services  in  the  case  of  the  com- 
bined stenographer  and  typewriter  examinations,  or  to 
the  Departmental  and  Isthmian  Canal  Services  in  the 
case  of  a  separate  typewriter  examination.  If  he  also 
desires  to  become  eligible  for  appointment  to  the  Field 
Service,  he  will  be  required  to  take  an  examination 
especially  for  that  service.  Applicants  are  required 
to  indicate  clearly  in  their  applications  the  service  or 
services  in  which  employment  is  sought.  A  separate 
application  is  required  for  each  service. 

Women  will  not  be  admitted  to  the  Philippine  or 
Isthmian  Canal  Service.  In  view  of  the  large  number 
of  female  stenographer  and  typewriter  eligibles,  women 
who  desire  appointment  in  the  departmental  Service 
in  Washington,  D.  C,  will  be  admitted  only  to  the 
spring  and  fall  schedule  of  examinations. 

Women  are  eligible  for  Departmental  Service,  but 


LOOKING  AHEAD  15 

not  for  service  in  Panama,  and  the  Philippines,  nor 
will  those  of  the  men  who  qualify  as  stenographers 
only  or  typewriters  only  be  accepted  for  service  in 
those  places.  Three  registers  will,  however,  be  pre- 
pared for  the  Departmental  Service:  one  for  stenog- 
raphers only,  one  for  typewriters  only,  and  one  for 
stenographers  and  typewriters  combined.  Age  limit 
varies:  18  or  over  for  Departmental  Service;  18  to  40 
for  Philippine  Service;  and  20  to  45  for  Isthmian  Canal 
Service.  In  the  Philippine  Service  a  rating  of  75  per 
cent  must  be  attained  to  be  eligible  to  appointment. 
Entrance  salary,  $1,200.  In  the  Isthmian  Canal  Serv- 
ice and  Departmental  Service  70  per  cent  only  need 
be  attained.  Entrance  salary  on  the  Isthmus  is  usually 
$1,500;  in  the  Departmental  Service  $900,  although 
some  appointments  are  made  as  low  as  $480,  and  some 
as  high  as  $1,500.  The  applicant  is  required  to  state, 
when  he  is  examined,  the  minimum  salary  he  will 
accept.  The  lower  the  minimum  the  earlier  appoint- 
ment is  made,  although  if  one  states  that  he  will  accept 
$480  he  may  be  certified  to  a  $1,500  place.  But  it  is 
apparent  that  if  the  minimum  salary  applicant  states 
he  will  accept  $900  he  will  not  be  certified  to  a  $480 
place. 

The  examination  is  the  same  for  all  four  branches  of 
the  service,  but  separate  applications  must  be  filed  for 
each.  Likewise  the  examination  in  stenography  and 
typewriting  is  the  same  whether  applicant  is  a  stenog- 
rapher, typewriter  or  is  both,  but  the  application  must 
designate  which  examination  is  desired. 

The  examination  is  thoroughly  practical  and  is 
neither  excessively  difficult  to  the  qualified  applicant 


16  GURTLER'S  SHORTHAND  EFFICIENCY 

nor  easy  to  one  who  is  not  qualified  as  a  practical 
stenographer  and  typewriter.  The  great  trouble  is 
that  there  are  too  many  that  "think"  they  are  stenog- 
raphers. They  find  out  their  mistake  when  they  receive 
their  standings  from  the  Commission.  The  stenog- 
rapher only  examination  in  a  recent  test  was  success- 
fully passed  by  87  out  of  the  300  who  took  it ;  the  type- 
writer only  by  346  out  of  the  401 ;  the  combined  ex- 
amination by  but  416  out  of  the  983  who  took  it.  A 
very  large  percentage  of  those  who  passed  any  of  the 
three  were  appointed. 

DESCRIPTION   OF  EXAMINATION 

The  subjects  of  the  examination  with  their  relative 
weights,  on  a  scale  of  100,  are  as  follows : 

Stenography  only — Stenography,  70;  copying  from 
rough  draft,  10 ;  arithmetic,  5 ;  penmanship,  5  ;  letter  writ- 
ing, 10. 

Typewriting  only — Typewriting,  70 ;  divided  into  three 
divisions — 1.  Copying  from  rough  draft,  20;  2.  Copying 
and  spacing,  30;  Copying  from  plain  copy,  20;  penman- 
ship, 10;  letter  writing,  10;  arithmetic,  10. 

Stenography  and  Typewriting  Combined — Same  sub- 
jects as  above  given;  the  average  of  the  two  subjects, 
stenography  and  typewriting  taken  separately,  are  com- 
bined, with  a  relative  weight  of  2  for  stenography  and  1 
for  typewriting,  the  net  average  of  the  two  being  the 
average  entered  on  register.  If  either  subject  is  taken 
separately  the  time  allowed  is  five  hours ;  if  combined,  six 
hours  is  allowed,  exclusive  of  time  consumed  in  giving 
stenography  dictation.  To  illustrate  the  relative  weight 
feature — if  on  the  combined  examination  you  receive  90 


LOOKING  AHEAD  17 

per  cent  for  each  subject  scheduled,  excepting  stenog- 
raphy, and  copying  from. plain  copy  respectively,  in  which 
subjects  you  were  graded  80,  your  standing  on  the  com- 
bined register  would  be  91.33  per  cent;  on  the  stenog- 
rapher only  register,  83  per  cent ;  on  the  typewriter  only 
register,  88  per  cent. 

The  stenography  test  consists  of  250  words  contain- 
ing no  technical  matter,  usually  from  a  speech.  Four 
rates  of  speed  are  used,  all  of  which  may  be  taken,  five 
minutes  being  allowed  to  choose  which  shall  be  tran- 
scribed. If  at  140  words  per  minute,  100  per  cent  is 
given  for  speed;  if  at  120,  90  per  cent;  at  100,  80  per 
cent;  at  80,  70  per  cent.  Speed  and  accuracy  are 
given  equal  grades  in  stenography.  A  subject  gen- 
erally giving  much  trouble  in  the  typewriting  examina- 
tion is  that  of  copying  and  spacing.  A  sheet  of  actual 
typewriting  is  photo-lithographed  and  the  applicant  is 
required  to  make  an  exact  copy  of  same,  even  to 
spacing  and  punctuation.  Every  deviation  from  the 
original,  no  matter  how  trivial,  is  counted  against  the 
grade  allowed. 

GRADE   SUBJECTS 

In  addition  to  the  technical  portion  of  the  examina- 
tion the  applicant  is  also  examined  on  what  are  termed 
"grade"  subjects,  such  as  arithmetic,  penmanship, 
letter  writing,  spelling,  etc.  While  relatively  unim- 
portant, because  of  the  small  value  placed  on  them 
in  rating  the  examination  as  a  whole,  the  grade  sub- 
jects are  in  a  way  quite  important,  as  they  either 
advance  or  decrease  the  net  average.  Too  many  fail  to 
realize  this  and  are  careless  with  those  subjects,  par- 


18  GURTLER'S  SHORTHAND  EFFICIENCY 

ticularly  if  the  general  education  of  the  applicant  has 
been  neglected. 

THE  TECHNICAL  SUBJECTS 

The  apparent  simplicity  of  the  test  in  "copying  and 
spacing"  is  very  deceiving;  the  truth  is  there  are  few 
typewriter  operators  who  do  really  perfect  work  on  the 
machine,  and  the  Commission's  examiners  will  award 
a  100  per  cent  only  to  work  that  is  flawless.  The  rules 
for  marking,  however,  admit  of  no  variation  and  every 
applicant's  work  is  marked  with  absolute  justice, 
whether  it  call  for  a  grade  of  100  per  cent  or  o.  In  the 
rough  draft  test  it  is  well  for  the  applicant  to  read  the 
photo-lithographed  sheet  over  carefully  before  he 
attempts  to  transcribe  it.  The  time  lost  in  doing  this 
will  be  more  than  compensated  by  the  confidence  thus 
engendered  and  the  insurance  against  errors  gained 
by  a  preliminary  reading  of  the  test. 

SPECIAL   EXAMINATIONS 

The  general  provision  limiting  the  number  of  exam- 
inations to  be  taken  by  an  applicant  to  one  a  year  does 
not  apply  to  "special  examinations,"  of  which  there 
are  quite  a  number.  By  this  term  is  meant  an  examina- 
tion not  given  frequently  enough  to  be  scheduled  in 
the  regular  manual  of  examinations.  Any  person  de- 
siring to  take  such  examinations  and  many  of  them  are 
exceptionally  good  ones  to  go  after,  should  write  the 
"Civil  Service  Commission,  Washington,  D.  C."  and 
ask  to  be  notified  when  any  "special  examinations  in 
stenography  or  typewriting  or  any  combination  thereof 


LOOKING  AHEAD  19 

with  other  subjects"  are  to  be  held.  The  Commission 
will  make  a  note  of  these  requests  from  time  to  time  and 
when  an  examination  is  announced  copies  of  the  formal 
announcements  will  be  sent  to  the  persons  filing  such 
requests  for  advance  notice,  together  with  the  necessary 
application  blanks,  etc. 

The  following  are  a  few  of  the  special  examinations 
which  have  been  held  in  the  past,  and  which  may  be 
held  again,  with  salaries  usually  paid. 

CLERK-TYPEWRITER 

Open  to  males  over  20  years  old.  Mint  and  Assay 
Service,  Salt  Lake  City,  Utah.  Salary,  $1,400  a  year. 
In  addition  to  clerical  subjects  this  examination  in- 
cluded the  following  practical  tests  in  typewriting: 
Copying  from  Rough  Draft,  30% ;  Copying  and  Spac- 
ing, 40%;  Copying  from  Plain  Copy,  30%.  Total, 
loo.  A  similar  examination  was  held  for  a  position 
in  West  Point  Military  Academy,  which  included  also 
French  and  Spanish.  For  this  high  grade  position  the 
"munificent"  salary  of  $750  a  year  was  offered.  The 
training  required  was  practically  identical,  yet  one  posi- 
tion paid  $1,400  a  year  while  the  other  paid  but  $750. 

IMMIGRATION  SERVICE 

A  combination  of  stenographer,  typist,  law  clerk  and 
translator  is  provided  for,  and  pays  a  salary  of  about 
$1,400  a  year.  Those  interested  should  write  for  noti- 
fication as  to  when  any  such  examination  is  scheduled 
again. 


20  GURTLER'S  SHORTHAND  EFFICIENCY 

GENERAL  SITUATION 

On  the  whole  the  civil  service  of  the  federal  govern- 
ment offers  many  opportunities,  particularly  in  an  edu- 
cational way.  If  one  "knows  the  ropes"  he  may  secure 
a  good  paying  position,  while  if  he  accepts  the  first  one 
that  is  offered  he  may  get  a  very  poor  berth,  with  little 
or  no  opportunity  for  advancement. 

(The  author  was  fortunate  in  being  able  to  give  the 
students  of  Efficiency  Course  the  benefit  of  the  expe- 
rience of  Mr.  Frederick  R.  Austin,  Attorney-at-Law 
and  former  editor  of  Civil  Service  Department  of  the 
Gregg  Writer,  Detroit,  Michigan.  Mr.  Austin  worked 
in  Washington,  D.  C,  for  a  number  of  years  and  has 
set  forth  the  facts  about  Civil  Service  very  clearly. ) 

THE   MASTER   STENOGRAPHER 

A  master  in  any  line  of  work  is  one  who  does  his 
work  in  a  highly  skillful  manner.  Master  stenog- 
raphers may  be  divided  into  two  classes.  First,  those 
who  become  highly  expert  in  the  use  of  shorthand  and, 
second,  those  who  through  shorthand  are  promoted  to 
positions  of  responsibility  and  advantage. 

EXPERT   STENOGRAPHERS 

I  will  take  up  the  first  class  of  master  stenographers 
referred  to  and  make  a  few  suggestions.  The  stenog- 
rapher who  is  willing  to  prepare  himself  to  do  his  work 
well  has  an  immense  advantage  over  the  ordinary  and 
usual  class  of  stenographers.  The  same  is  true  of  any 
other  line  of  endeavor. 


LOOKING  AHEAD  21 

The  average  draw  a  certain  salary  and  a  few  here 
and  there  who  are  above  the  average  draw  a  different 
and  larger  salary.  While  a  large  salary  is  not  alone 
what  we  are  working  for,  it  is  something  which  puts 
life  and  opportunity  in  the  way  of  the  recipient. 

Should  you  not,  as  a  citizen,  demand  and  claim  all 
that  your  services  really  entitle  you  to?  Should  you 
not  in  the  same  manner  demand  and  claim  all  the  op- 
portunity to  render  services  and  thus  provide  yourself 
and  for  those  who  may  be  dependent  upon  you  such  an 
income  as  will  permit  of  the  fullest  development  of  your 
mental  powers?  Is  there  a  sufficient  reason  for  doing 
less  than  you  are  capable  of?  Every  young  man  espe- 
cially should  prepare  to  meet  the  commercial  demands 
that  may  be  made  upon  him,  demands  that  may  be  made 
upon  him  in  a  domestic,  a  civic  or  a  commercial  sense. 

In  this  day  of  enlightenment  we  should  observe  the 
sign  I  noticed  in  an  office  not  long  ago  which  read,  "Do 
not  make  excuses,  make  good."  There  is  an  abundance 
of  success  and  hope  in  such  a  sign  which  the  young  and 
impressionable  mind  should  get  the  benefit  of. 

To  particularize  with  reference  to  stenographers  who 
will  become  expert  and  successful  in  the  use  of  the  kin- 
dred arts  of  shorthand  and  typewriting;  certain  defi- 
ciencies are  immediately  apparent.  There  are  stenog- 
raphers who  make  a  success  as  private  secretaries,  those 
who  make  an  equal  success  as  public  stenographers  and 
those  who  are  successful  as  court  reporters. 

I  know  lady  stenographers  who  are  really  not  con- 
sidered private  secretaries,  simply  stenographers,  who 
make  $1500  a  year.  I  know  of  young  men  and  women 
who  make  very  comfortable  incomes  through  the  expert 


22  GURTLER'S  SHORTHAND  EFFICIENCY 

use  of  shorthand.  You  have  the  same  opportunity. 
Most  of  the  people  I  know  who  are  now  successful  once 
were  as  lacking  as  you  or  I  in  skill  but  through  per- 
severance, through  observation  and  a  development  of 
those  qualities  which  make  for  social  and  business  suc- 
cess, they  have  gradually  come  into  positions  which 
give  them  the  opportunity  to  use  all  the  resource,  initia- 
tive and  judgment  they  can  command. 

STENOGRAPHER  BUSINESS  MEN  AND  WOMEN 

Then  there  is  that  other  class  of  master  stenogra- 
phers who  because  they  are  just  what  they  are  have 
been  given  increased  responsibility  from  year  to  year 
until  they  have  entirely  gotten  out  of  the  so-called  cleri- 
cal realm.  Now,  either  of  these  courses  is  most  desir- 
able. If  you  should  become  so  skillful  in  your  art  that 
you  could  demand  the  respect  of  business  men  and  be 
trusted  with  the  responsibilities  which  are  coincident 
with  the  transaction  of  business  itself,  then  you  would 
be  a  master,  you  would  be  a  leader,  you  would  be  a 
factor  in  business.  This  condition  inevitably  leads  to 
recognition  of  your  ability  as  a  sort  of  master  mechanic 
in  business  and  until  you  reach  that  position  you  can 
never  expect  to  get  very  far  in  the  business  world.  Bus- 
iness men  respect  people  who  can  do  things. 

UTTERLY   HELPLESS 

It  is  surprising  how  helpless  some  stenographer-  peo- 
ple are.  They  allow  the  business  world  to  cow  them 
and  subdue  them  until  they  themselves  begin  to  think 
they  are  not  worth  more  than  ten  dollars  a  week.  Of 
course,  some  stenographers  are  expensive  at  any  price 


LOOKING  AHEAD  23 

because  they  do  not  know  their  work,  they  haven't  taken 
the  time  to  become  skilled  and  hence  are  not  skillful. 
It  is  such  an  easy  matter  to  acquire  skill  and  such  a 
helpful  thing  and  I  do  not  see  how  any  one  can  waste 
six  evenings  a  week.  I  would  spend  at  least  two  or 
three  of  them  while  getting  started  in  developing  skill. 
Speaking  in  terms  of  interest  on  money,  what  could  be 
a  better  investment  ?  Why  be  so  helpless  ?  Help  your- 
self. You  will  be  better  off  and  all  the  world  will  re- 
spect you  for  being  able  to  do  something — some  one 
thing — skillfully. 

BE  DEPENDABLE 

Not  long  ago  I  was  present  at  a  meeting  where  an 
employee  was  rather  harshly  criticised  for  not  being 
prepared.  It  seems  he  had  been  given  considerable 
time  for  an  investigation  of  a  certain  matter  and  was 
to  report  to  the  committee  his  findings.  On  the  occasion 
in  question  his  report  was  such  that  even  a  cursory 
examination  would  have  enabled  him  to  make  it.  The 
committee  relied  upon  him  to  get  the  desired  informa- 
tion and  putting  the  matter  off  until  shortly  before 
it  was  needed,  were  deprived  of  the  opportunity  to  make 
their  own  investigation,  investigation  which  would  have 
gleaned  full  facts  regarding  existing  conditions.  This 
might  not  have  meant  so  much  in  dollars  and  cents  but 
it  illustrates  the  great  point  in  business  that  a  young 
man  having  the  opportunity  to  show  his  personal 
worth  and  dependability,  failed  and  failed  because  he 
was  not  reliable.  On  the  other  hand  supposing  he  had 
made  good! 

There  were  in  this  committee  representatives  from 


24  GURTLER'S  SHORTHAND  EFFICIENCY 

a  number  of  large  business  concerns,  each  of  whom 
might  some  day  have  needed  a  young  man  with  quali- 
fications, such  as  this  young  fellow  no  doubt  possessed, 
with  the  exception  of  reliability.  That  would  have  been 
his  chance. 

The  business  world  does  turn  a  cold  shoulder  to  the 
fellow  who  seeks  responsibility  and  then  only  sees  the 
money  he  is  going  to  get  out  of  it — forgetting  the  im- 
portance of  the  service.  If  you  make  good  at  every 
opportunity  you  cannot  help  but  succeed. 

QUALIFICATIONS  EPITOMIZED 

There  are  a  few  big  words  in  business.  Among  them 
are  skill,  dependability,  truthfulness,  loyalty,  willing- 
ness, endurance,  progressiveness  and  aggressiveness. 
All  of  us  can't  measure  up  to  the  same  standard  as  we 
think  of  sameness  in  connection  with  the  uniformity 
of  a  manufactured  product.  But  what  one  may  lack  in 
a  certain  quality,  such  as  endurance,  may  be  made  up 
by  a  high  development  of  intuition ;  what  another  may 
lack  in  capacity  may  be  made  up  by  determination. 

Because  of  the  ever  unknown  quality  of  the  business 
characteristics  of  ourselves  there  is  added  to  life  a 
keen  interest.  To  be  dependable — to  be  singled  out  as 
one  who  does  things — is  a  tremendous  asset.  A  man 
may  be  faithful  or  industrious  or  even  capable  and  still 
not  dependable.  A  faithful  man  may  be  incompetent; 
he  who  is  capable  may  possess  erratic  tendencies  which 
minimize  his  efforts  and  the  industrious  man  may  be  a 
blunderer.  But  the  dependable  man  is  he  who  can  at 
all  times  be  depended  upon  to  do  that  which  is  set  for 
him  to  do  as  it  should  be  done.  Like  everything  else, 


LOOKING  AHEAD  25 

dependability  can  be  acquired.  Like  everything  else 
that  is  desirable  it  requires  effort.  But  the  reward  is 
worth  the  struggle. 

FAILURE 

You  can't  justify  failure.  No  matter  how  clever 
the  explanation  or  how  dismal  the  experience  you  could 
never  by  act  or  word  justify  failure.  That  word  only 
exists  as  a  matter  of  discipline.  In  our  weaker  moments 
we  may  become  discouraged  because  things  have  not 
gone  the  way  we  expected.  If  our  expectations  had 
been  qualified  and  justified  by  experience,  had  been 
tried  and  tested,  the  result  would  have  been  satisfactory. 

Even  our  discouragements  are  not  as  serious  as  we 
make  them  out  to  be.  A  discouraged  man  never  did 
very  much  of  anything.  If  you  will  permit  yourself 
to  become  discouraged  because  you  cannot  have  your 
own  way  in  business  you  are  not  preparing  yourself  to 
become  a  business  man  or  woman.  All  business  is  full 
of  disappointment  and  surprise.  The  successful  man  or 
woman  is  he  who  in  the  easiest,  smoothest  way  meets 
the  conditions  of  life.  Remember  that  success  can  be  at- 
tained through  the  best  efforts  of  which  you  are  now 
capable. 

OPPORTUNITY 

Arouse  yourself.  Bestir  yourself.  Don't  wait  till 
opportunity  knocks  at  your  door,  but  go  out  to  meet  it 
and  welcome  it.  Your  ability  is  a  great  asset.  You 
have  the  nucleus  of  a  fortune  if  you  will  work  your 
resources  to  the  limit.  In  the  career  of  every  man  who 
has  made  a  success  there  was  a  time  when  he  "woke 
up."  Why  not  wake  up  now?  Efficiency  and  oppor- 


26  GURTLER'S  SHORTHAND  EFFICIENCY 

tunity  go  together.  If  you  are  not  efficient,  become  so. 
When  you  become  efficient  in  your  work  then  set  about 
to  sell  your  ability.  It  has  a  market  value.  If  you  are 
a  poor  salesman,  you  yourself  are  to  blame.  You  can 
experiment  and  develop.  Giving  things  away,  or  sell- 
ing them,  for  less  than  cost,  is  not  salesmanship.  Why 
not  get  the  highest  market  price — today?  To  delay 
is  to  encourage  defeat.  Why  delay? 

ORGANIZED   EFFORT 

The  importance  of  a  thorough  organization  as  a 
factor  in  business  cannot  be  learned  too  early  for  you. 
If  you  are  to  be  worth  anything  at  all  to  yourself  you 
must  organize  the  abilities  you  have  and  play  them 
against  business  to  the  very  highest  degree  of  efficiency. 
"Know  your  goods"  means  no  more  to  the  salesman 
than  "know  yourself"  means  to  you.  If  you  do  not 
know  what  one  thing  you  can  do  better  than  anybody 
else,  then  analyze  yourself.  Every  successful  com- 
pany is  developed  by  organization.  That  also  applies  to 
you  in  a  very  personal  way. 

Well  organized  effort  has  an  axis  around  which  it 
turns,  speaking  in  a  figurative  sense.  In  a  mental  sense 
there  must  be  a  standard,  a  rule  of  action  or  creed  to 
which  one  may  turn  when  things  go  dead  wrong  or 
when  it  is  necessary  to  make  a  decision.  Creeds  have 
been  written  and  forgotten  but  to  the  extent  to  which 
service  has  been  rendered  by  them  they  have  been  of 
value  to  the  writer  and  reader. 

Therefore,  it  is  well  for  you  to  have  a  sort  of  some- 
thing which  will  be  your  daily  inspiration.  You  may 
write  this  for  yourself  and  every  morning  for  breakfast 


LOOKING  AHEAD  27 

think  the  thought  or  reiterate  the  words  as  a  kind  of 
stimulant  to  more  determined  action.  Constant  con- 
quering counts. 

Everything  that  is  worth  while  comes  as  the  result  of 
struggle,  and  it  requires  the  oil  of  determination  as  it 
were,  to  make  the  wheel  of  fortune  turn  easily  on  its 
axis.  You  have  only  one  life  to  live.  If  you  do  not 
get  yourself  into  some  active,  constructive  channel  of 
development  you  will  fail  and  ever  fail.  Steady  devel- 
opment is  unassailable. 

It  is  not  my  idea  to  do  your  thinking  for  you  nor 
to  do  the  work  for  you  that  is  outlined  in  this  course. 
I  have  endeavored  to  tell  you  how  to  do  your  work  with 
the  least  resistance  and  accomplish  the  best  results.  I 
have  endeavored  to  guide  your  thought  along  right 
and  known  lines. 

THE  PERSONAL  EQUATION 

To  more  clearly  illustrate  what  I  mean  by  having  a 
sort  of  creed  or  plan  by  which  to  work  I  submit  the 
following  for  your  consideration  : 

I   WILL 

do  the  right  thing  at  the  right  time  in  the  right  way ;  do 
some  things  better  than  they  were  ever  done  before; 
eliminate  errors;  know  both  sides  of  the  question;  be 
courteous ;  be  an  example ;  anticipate  requirements ;  de- 
velop resource;  recognize  no  impediments;  master  cir- 
cumstances ;  act  from  reason  rather  than  from  rule ;  be 
content  with  nothing  short  of  perfection. 

Success  or  failure  is  largely  of  our  own  planning. 
If  you  insist  on  failure,  of  course,  there  is  little  reason 
to  expect  you  to  succeed.  The  world  has  no  patience 


28  GURTLER'S  SHORTHAND  EFFICIENCY 

with  one  who  is  disgruntled  with  the  treatment  he  re- 
ceives. You  are  apt  to  get  just  about  what  you  give. 
If  you  are  liberal  in  your  treatment  of  others,  others 
are  pretty  apt  to  be  liberal  in  their  treatment  of  you. 

If  you  put  a  dollar's  worth  of  energy  into  a  business, 
you  are  pretty  apt  to  get  just  compensation  out  of  it. 
If  you  lend  yourself  heartily  and  willingly  to  the  mas- 
tery of  any  work  it  is  apt  to  be  more  carefully  done 
than  if  you  attempt  it  in  a  disinterested  manner.  Vim 
is  of  value. 

You  are  a  part  of  a  world  whose  keynote  is  en- 
deavor, whose  incessant  demand  is  for  effort.  You 
cannot  become  a  good  stenographer  with  easy  and  pleas- 
ant dictation  or  work.  You  must  learn  the  value  of 
discipline  and  defeat.  It  is  through  being  conquered, 
being  unable  to  get  the  dictation,  being  disappointed 
in  getting  a  better  position  or  making  a  higher  grade  in 
examinations  that  you  and  I  and  all  of  us  may  learn 
some  of  our  weaknesses  and  provide  for  ourselves  the 
opportunity  of  correcting  and  eliminating  them. 
Through  our  most  disheartening  experiences  we  can 
learn,  if  we  will,  our  most  valuable  lessons,  lessons  the 
mastery  of  which  inevitably  means  success. 

You  do  not  expect  the  easy  things  in  life — which  is 
no  man's  life  after  all — but  you  expect  because  of  ex- 
periences you  have  had  that  whatever  comes  that  very 
thing  will  compel  you  to  think,  to  will,  to  endure,  to 
withstand  and  not  give  way,  to  insist  that  through  it 
all  you  WILL  develop  and  acquire  a  personality  which 
will  surely  win  and  which  will  cause  you  to  be  recog- 
nized as  a  person  of  worth,  of  distinction,  of  dignity 
and  success. 

UXSlVEKbiTY  of  CALlFOki\^ 

AT 

LOS  ANGELES 
LIBRARY 


. 


This  book  is  DUE  on  the  last 


below 


3  1 


' 58 00731 1979 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  LIBRARY 

Los  Angeles 
This  book  is  DUE  on  the  last  date  stamped  below. 


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